By KYLE FERLITA
On the heels of the longest government shutdown, President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency on Feb. 15 so that he can use emergency funds to pay for a border wall on the United States and Mexico border.
“To physically secure our border, the plan includes $5.7 billion for a strategic deployment of physical barriers, or a wall,” President Trump said in a speech held in the Diplomatic Reception Room on Jan. 19. “There is a humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border that requires urgent action. Thousands of children are being exploited by ruthless coyotes and vicious cartels and gangs. Drugs kill 78,000 Americans a year and cost our society in excess of $700 billion. Heroin alone kills 300 Americans a week, 90 percent of which comes across our southern border.”
Many have criticized the President’s decision to declare a national emergency for the wall to be “narrow minded.”
“He’s throwing a temper tantrum because no one wants to fund a wall. There’s American citizens dying in below freezing weather and being poisoned by their own drinking water,” Amanda Granieri, a junior at Montclair State University said.
The Present
The declaration for a national emergency came two weeks after 800,000 federal workers missed out on paychecks because of the government shutdown. Those checks will be paid back via a two-point-six percent pay increase. Similar bills are being passed through the House and Senate to reverse the damages done to federal workers’ credit scores as well.
“I think that a wall that costs that much while we’re so far in debt is just absurd,” Jackie Strauch, a senior at Ramapo College said.
Trump warned that this would happen if the House wasn’t able to reach a compromise. At a press conference to announce the move, Trump didn’t begin with the discussion of the wall, he decided to focus on new trade deals with China. The conference can be viewed here.
When @realDonaldTrump wanted his wall in December, he threw a temper tantrum and shut the government down, hurting 800,000 federal workers.
Now that the President is still not getting his wall, he thinks his temper tantrum should be a national emergency.#FakeTrumpEmergency
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 15, 2019
The Future
There are myriad other projects that this national emergency funding could be spent on, but the President chose to build a $5 billion wall. It’s been his agenda that he’s had since his election in 2016. Critics say this is his one-armed man, his magnum opus, and he’s forcing it into fruition without approval from either side of the political spectrum.
National Parks and Monuments faced catastrophic damages from vandalism and lack of maintenance during the shutdown, but none of these humanitarian, worldly issues hold a candle to the wall. There’s also the fact that this sets the stage for future presidents to be equally as liberal with executive orders and national emergencies. When does it end?
The Takeaway
Observers say this could be the first of many “national emergencies” that appear in the coming years in regards to climate change, gun rights, etc.
The most likely upshot of Trump’s state of emergency will be a court ruling that shrinks the ability of future, better presidents to use such powers in an authentic crisis https://t.co/iWzcWH4Pfn
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 15, 2019
I like how you set apart what has happened/is happening and what will happen (present/future) in order to demonstrate the effects that the wall and national emergency controversy has had and will have as time moves on. I also like the links and social media posts you used, furthering reader’s interest and ability to read more into the issues.
As for the local angle, you did good getting the thoughts from nearby college students (Ramapo and Montclair), and relating them to what politicians and the president are saying. While the quotes from these students were a little short, they were effective enough in getting the point of a general public opinion across. Good job! -BG